App alert to be game changer for football injuries

PARENTS have been urged to embrace a new smartphone app which aims to identify the warning signs of concussion in junior footballers and de-mystify their path to recovery.

With most underage football competitions under way, the launch of the awareness program could minimise the risk of brain injuries.

Research shows one in five junior rugby league players are likely to suffer from concussion this year and experts warn that failure to follow appropriate treatment guidelines can have catastrophic outcomes.

The prevention of head injuries has become a hot topic in professional sports worldwide in recent years, triggered largely by the concussion injury class action lawsuit brought by former players against America's NFL.

It has also been at the heart of moves this season by Australia's National Rugby League to introduce a ban on the controversial shoulder charge in a bid to reduce head injuries.